1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable device having a biosignal measuring instrument, and more particularly, to a portable device having a biosignal measuring instrument which can measure a user's electrocardiogram signal and pulse waveform by providing an electrocardiogram signal sensor and a pulse sensor at predetermined positions of the portable device, respectively, such that the user may measure his/her electrocardiogram signal and pulse waveform simultaneously by himself/herself, and detect the user's biosignal more accurately by detecting at least one characteristic point of the pulse waveform with reference to the electrocardiogram waveform.
2. Description of Related Art
As used in the present specification, the term “Ubiquitous” means an information communication environment where a user can be free to access networks at any place without being conscious of the surrounding networks or computers. If ubiquitous is commercialized, anyone can readily use information technology not only at home or in a car, but also even on a mountaintop. Also, the commercialization of Ubiquitous may expand the information technology industry or the scope corresponding thereto by increasing the number of computer users who are connected to networks. Because of its advantage that users can access networks without restriction to time and place, not to mention its portability and convenience, countries worldwide are expanding development and competing in Ubiquitous-related technology now.
Ubiquitous-related technology may be applied to myriad field in human life. In particular, Ubiquitous-HealthCare (hereinafter, U-HealthCare) has recently been in the spotlight as a notable technology area due to the “well-being” boom. U-HealthCare means Ubiquitous technology which enables anyone to readily receive medical services at any time and at any place by installing medical service-related chips or sensors in places of the user's living space. With U-HealthCare, various types of medical attention, such as physical examinations, disease management, emergency care, consultation with a doctor and the like, which currently are only performed in hospitals, may be naturally integrated into our daily lives, thus may be accomplished without going to a hospital.
For example, a diabetic may wear a belt having a blood-sugar management system for blood-sugar management. A blood-sugar sensor attached to the belt may check the blood-sugar of the diabetic upon a specified occasion, and calculate the amount of required insulin corresponding thereto. When the blood-sugar of the diabetic becomes drastically low or high, the belt may provide the blood-sugar information to his/her attending physician via a wireless network, and the attending physician who has received the blood-sugar information may write out an optimal prescription or take the optimal action for the medical emergency.
As an example of U-HealthCare, a portable device is currently being developed and used which can measure an electrocardiogram signal, body fat, or other sorts of biosignals such as a pulse waveform.
Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2004-0020584 entitled “Automatic Blood Pressure Measuring Apparatus and Method” discloses the configuration of receiving a pulse waveform and an electrocardiogram signal from a pressure sensor and an electrocardiogram signal measuring instrument, analyzing the correlation between both said signals, calculating the systolic and diastolic pressure on the basis of the analyzed data, and displaying the same. However, the automatic blood pressure measuring instrument according to this publication includes a pulse waveform sensor measuring pulse waveforms and an electrocardiogram signal sensor measuring electrocardiogram signals as separate units, not as an integrated unit. Thus, it is inconvenient for a user to carry and also, there is an inconvenience the user must bear in that the current electrocardiogram signal sensor must attach its electrodes to the user's own arm and leg.
Also, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2005-008972 entitled “Portable Apparatus with a Bio-measurement Instrument” discloses the configuration of attaching a bio-measurement instrument which can measure an electrocardiogram signal, body fat or a pulse waveform by a portable apparatus, thereby enabling a user to obtain his/her bio-health information at any time and at any place. However, since the portable apparatus according to this publication includes a pulse waveform sensor and an electrocardiogram signal sensor fixed to a particular location on the user, the portable apparatus may measure pulse waveforms only from a finger of the user.
Namely, the portable apparatus according to this publication has no option but to measure the pulse only from a finger tip, not a radial pulse which is generally used when measuring a user's pulse. Thus, there is a problem that errors may frequently occur when a biosignal is measured. Also, the portable apparatus according to this publication uses a finger tip pulse measured from a finger of the user without consideration of the correlation between the pulse and electrocardiogram. Thus, there is a disadvantage that a large error may occur in the measuring of the pulse waveform.
FIG. 1, parts (a) and (b), are graphs illustrating an error which may occur when a pulse is measured without consideration of the accompanying electrocardiogram according to the conventional art.
As shown in part (a) of FIG. 1, the pulse may repeat similar waveforms per certain cycle. Namely, in part (a) of FIG. 1, sections 1(110), 2(120), and 3 (130) may each be recognized as a waveform, respectively.
However, it is highly possible that the waveforms may include noise caused by the shaking of the pulse waveform sensor or measuring instrument. Accordingly, when the waveform is recognized only by the pulse waveform, there is a very high possibility of a serious error occurring.
For example, section 2(120) has been recognized as one waveform in part (a) of FIG. 1, however, when the electrocardiogram and pulse waveform are compared as shown in part (b) of FIG. 1, it can be known that the section 2(120) is not one waveform but two waveforms, which are sections 2-1(121) and 2-2(122). Accordingly, when of a measurement of the pulse waveform by itself, an error frequently occurs when the waveform is recognized because of the noise included therein. Due to this, there is a great difficulty in acquiring biosignal information about a user.
Because of the aforementioned problems in the conventional art, there is a demand for the development of a portable device, which can be used at any time and at any place, having a biosignal measuring instrument which enables a user to simultaneously measure his/her pulse and electrocardiogram signals, thereby obtaining more precise biometric information.